Making something happen starts with ME and each day I need to remember what and why I am in vocational instruction. It is my profession that I am training students to enter so it has to be positive every day. If you are not proud of your profession and not happy doing what you are doing, it will not work and you need to leave or change. As our motto says"Changing Futures, Changing Lives", it takes daily efforts to do this and togetherness with all of the staff. At our graduations, it shows us what we all have made happen,and it is so very rewarding--especially seeing the ones that you or other staff had to put lots of extra effort and care into their lives. It is "making something happen" on a grand scale. It makes it all worth it.
Making something happen starts with ME and each day I need to remember what and why I am in vocational instruction. It is my profession that I am training students to enter so it has to be positive every day. If you are not proud of your profession and not happy doing what you are doing, it will not work and you need to leave or change. As our motto says"Changing Futures, Changing Lives", it takes daily efforts to do this and togetherness with all of the staff. At our graduations, it shows us what we all have made happen,and it is so very rewarding--especially seeing the ones that you or other staff had to put lots of extra effort and care into their lives. It is "making something happen" on a grand scale. It makes it all worth it.
In my classes I try to encourage students to believe that they DO control their destany. They have the power and the ability to decide what their future will be. It is nomally part of a discussion about personal responsibility, locus of control and being a positive proactive person. I am not sure that all of the students get it but some do light up during the discussions. After this trining class, I am going to redouble my efforts to encourage self-efficacy.
Well said, George.
Sometimes it is important for us to take a step back and remember why we choose to become educators. Thanks for sharing this excellent post.
Students can become overcome by events in many ways. They can be stressed by the course requirements, by their class load, loans and bills, a significant other or some event in their lives that detract from the pursuit of their goal in obtaining a degree. This is all very similar to stress that employees bring to work that multiply the effects of the stress of the job itself. The job, and the classroom should be havens that workers and students can go to where they know the expectations, they have a positive support group and feel better about themselves about having been there. This requires knowledge on the instructor’s part, as ridiculous as it might seem, that there are more important things going on in student’s lives than our course that day. There are worse things than handing in late assignments. The classroom has a function – to provide an environment conducive to learning, but also one which is positive and supportive. That is why it I think that it is important-no critical- to greet students, to note mood swings and to be approachable where the student can impart to the instructor (and class) that today is not a good day. A positive classroom experience can make that day better and also reinforce why the student has that goal to pursue educational endeavors in spite of all else. We also have bad days but we put on our game face for the classroom. More than that, the positive supportive environment that we have created in the classroom helps us deal with external factors as well. It is a time where there is one well-defined purpose: for students to get the most “education†out of that hour as they possibly can. There also a reaffirmation of why they are there and why the goal of getting educated is important. Is there not a reaffirmation for us as well as to why we chose this vocation?
I try to listen to everything they are saying and respond not only to what they are saying with words, but with their body language is saying. I repond with all my attention and give as much positive feedback, encouragement, or whatever is required of me. I try to smile, and stay calm at all times also. I also try to be approachable, about anything they wish to discuss.
Troy,
What are some of the strategies you use in positive inforcement?
One strategy id to set initial goals that have a high probablility of beeing achieved. As the student experiences success goals can be made more loftty.
Positive reinforcement strategies
I strive to remind students when they talk about quitting that this was a big step for them and they finally made it. Always reminding them this will change their lives and help them set bigger goals.
For my students it is the constant reinforcement to believe in themselves. I use my past and present hurdles as examples of things that can be overcome. To my teachers it is to instill the ability to change peoples lives through education and offer them a better future for themselves and loved ones. there can be no greater calling than being an educator, and the influences you will have on the students will be lifelong.
Thank you, Cynthia. Stories like this are what set apart good schools and good teachers from avaerage ones.
One of my peers once said that our students travel great distances in their education at our school, but take baby steps to do it. The important thing is that we are there for them each step of the way.
I had a student constantly saying he could not do it or that he thought he was not going to make it through the program because of the amount of math he had to learn. He felt he was to old to learn something new. I kept reminding him that he had gotten through the previous class. He would have a panic attack at the beginning of every new class until he finally stopped saying he couldnt do and just did it. He is in his final class and will be graduating from our program at the end of January. One of the things I would do was check on him and see if he needed tutoring. Also,I helped him to prioritize his work load, so he would get his classwork and projects done. This helped him to relieve the stress he felt, because instead of standing around saying he couldnt do it and did nothing. He was taking baby steps and meeting all the goals set for him in the classroom.
Thanks, Karen.
It is sometimes tough for our students to remember that one or two negative events does not mean that they will not make it. Your strategy of bringing them back to their own goals is a good one.
I try to present a positive attitude daily and remind students when they are thinking of giving up that they had a goal and they can reach it by continuing. To remind them of why they started and instill confidence in them to make something happen
put them in a position that will bring about success for them
Maureen,
Well done. My faculty put together a "what did you learn?" summary that we used to give students as they closed in on graduation. It summarized the major objectives of the first several terms. It really helped them put together resumes and be prepared for interviews.
To combat discouragement of some students, I try to remind them of where their skill set was when they started the program as to where they are at at that point. Many of them then realize the amount of progress they have made, and it gives them a boost to their morale to help them to keep trying.
Thanks, Maureen.
What do you do during the term to help keep up the morale up for students who struggle so that they do not get discouraged?
I make sure I give some type of possible feedback to freshmen level students when they recieve their grades for the first quarter. Some of them feel discourage if they have a C in a class - but that represents satisfactory work in a class/course they are in for the first time without really knowing what is expected of them.
